Admitted Pottstown killer wants judge to reduce sentence

By
Carl Hessler Jr., The Mercury

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

NORRISTOWN — A Pottstown man serving more than two decades in prison for strangling his girlfriend to death during an argument inside the borough home they shared wants a judge to reconsider the punishment.

Edwin Carrero II, 34, who was sentenced last week to 23-to-46 years in state prison in connection with the Feb. 2, 2012, strangulation death of 31-year-old Alicia Schmidt inside Schmidt’s 424 Cherry St. residence, filed a petition in Montgomery County Court asking President Judge William J. Furber Jr. to reduce the sentence.

“The petitioner (Carrero) believes that the sentence is harsh and excessive under the facts in this case,” defense lawyer Sharon R. Meisler wrote in court papers.

Meisler argued Carrero “acted under the heat of passion” and did not contemplate that his conduct would cause or threaten injury and that he has continuously shown remorse for his actions. Carrero, Meisler argued, had “an emotional response” to Schmidt’s making racial slurs against his two children, who Carrero has said are “half black,” and did not intend to kill Schmidt.

Meisler also argued that Carrero, the father of two sons, ages 11 and 3, does have family support and has “continually taken responsibility for his actions.”

Carrero pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree murder, theft by unlawful taking and access device fraud in connection with the killing that occurred inside the Cherry Street residence where Carrero periodically resided. Carrero also listed an address along Norris Hall Lane in West Norriton.

It is not clear if the judge will hold a hearing on Carrero’s request. Assistant District Attorney Wallis Brooks, who leads the district attorney’s domestic violence prosecution unit and who sought a significant state prison sentence against Carrero, is likely to oppose any reduction in Carrero’s sentence.

The judge’s punishment included the maximum possible term of 20-to-40 years in prison for third-degree murder, which is a killing committed with malice. Furber imposed additional jail time against Carrero for the theft charge and a parole violation.

Authorities previously revealed Schmidt’s two children, a 7-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy, were at the residence at the time of the early morning, violent altercation that led to Schmidt’s death and were asleep and unharmed in second-floor bedrooms.

Prosecutors alleged Carrero strangled Schmidt for “a few minutes” then dumped her body at the bottom of a basement stairway, covering a hatch that allowed access to the basement with a small carpet, a cardboard box and a vacuum cleaner so her body would not be found.

But Carrero claimed he hid the body in that fashion so Schmidt’s children wouldn’t see it.

According to investigators, detectives interviewed Carrero’s ex-wife, who indicated that she received a phone call at 6:35 a.m. Feb. 2 from Carrero. During the call, Carrero allegedly told his ex-wife that he may have killed Schmidt and that he choked her and pushed her down the steps of the basement, according to authorities.

Pottstown police responded to Schmidt’s residence at 6:56 a.m. and discovered her body.

“She was lying on her back at the bottom of the stairs…obviously lifeless,” county Detective Todd Richard, a former Pottstown police officer, previously testified, referring to how authorities found Schmidt’s body.

After choking Schmidt to death, Carrero removed about $40 in cash and a debit card, belonging to Schmidt’s father, from Schmidt’s purse, according to testimony. Carrero then stole Schmidt’s 2006 Volkswagen Jetta and eventually drove to Atlantic City, N. J., where he gambled, and to Ruther Glen, Va., and Hollywood, Fla.

Carrero used the stolen debit card 28 times between Feb. 1 and Feb. 3 and removed $3,384 from the account, authorities alleged.

Carrero was captured about 2:10 a.m. Feb. 7 in the parking garage at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. An officer from the Seminole Tribal Police took Carrero into custody after noticing Carrero acting suspiciously.